1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an assembling jig for an optical connector that receives and holds a ferrule having an optical fiber and, more specifically, relates to an assembling jig that can easily perform the assembly of such an optical connector.
2. Description of Related Art
Related attaching/detaching jigs for optical connectors are described in Japanese Patent (JP-B) No. 3354503 (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2005-292643 (Patent Document 2), respectively.
FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a ferrule pulled-out state of an optical connector 105 according to Patent Document 1 and FIG. 1B is a partly sectioned side view of the optical connector 105.
Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the optical connector 105 comprises a housing 110 and a ferrule 120 attached to the housing 110.
The housing 110 has a pair of locking pieces 111 on its optical fiber connection side. Each locking piece 111 has a locking portion 112 on the optical fiber connection side. The locking portions 112 serve to lock a flange portion 123 of the ferrule 120 at a position where the locking pieces 111 are closed to each other, thereby holding an attached state of the ferrule 120 as shown in FIG. 1B. The locking pieces 111 are elastically openable from the closed position described above to a releasing position where the attached state of the ferrule 120 can be released.
The ferrule 120 comprises a connection-side portion 121 located on the optical fiber connection side of the optical connector 105, a fitting-side portion 122 located on the mating optical connector fitting side opposite to the optical fiber connection side of the optical connector 105, and the flange portion 123 located between the connection-side portion 121 and the fitting-side portion 122. An optical fiber 106 is connected to the ferrule 120.
As shown in FIG. 1A, a ferrule attaching/detaching tool 125 is integrally formed of a plastic material into a U-shape in cross section as a whole. The ferrule attaching/detaching tool 125 has, on its base side at a right end in the figure, a grip portion for gripping by fingers of an operator and, on its distal end side, a pair of elastic grasping pieces 126 continuous with the grip portion and capable of grasping therebetween the connection-side portion 121 of the ferrule 120. The thickness of each elastic grasping piece 126 is set so that when the elastic grasping pieces 126 are inserted between the locking pieces 111 so as to face the locking pieces 111 and grasp therebetween the connection-side portion 121 of the ferrule 120, the locking pieces 111 are opened to the releasing position. On the other hand, the elastic grasping pieces 126 are each formed with cutouts that serve to prevent the locking pieces 111 from being opened to the releasing position when the elastic grasping pieces 126 are inserted between the locking pieces 111 so as not to face the locking pieces 111, i.e. so as to be perpendicular to the locking pieces 111, while grasping therebetween the connection-side portion 121 of the ferrule 120.
In the ferrule attaching/detaching tool 125, the cutouts are formed on both sides of each elastic grasping piece 126 only at its free end and the bottom of the tool 125 is cut out at its portion corresponding to the cutouts.
Next, a description will be given of operations of attaching and detaching the ferrule 120 of the optical connector 105 by the use of the ferrule attaching/detaching tool 125 having the structure described above.
At first, in order to pull out the ferrule 120 attached to the housing 110 as shown in FIG. 1B, the operator holds the grip portion of the ferrule attaching/detaching tool 125 so that the pair of elastic grasping pieces 126 are oriented for insertion between the pair of locking pieces 111 of the optical connector 105 so as to face the locking pieces 111. While holding the ferrule attaching/detaching tool 125 in this manner, the operator pushes the elastic grasping pieces 126 in between the locking pieces 111 until end faces of the elastic grasping pieces 126 butt against an abutment surface of the flange portion 123 of the ferrule 120 so that the elastic grasping pieces 126 are placed between the locking pieces 111 so as to face the locking pieces 111 and grasp therebetween the connection-side portion 121 of the ferrule 120. In this pushed state, the connection-side portion 121 of the ferrule 120 is completely grasped between the elastic grasping pieces 126 and, simultaneously, the locking pieces 111 are opened outward to the releasing position where the locking of the flange portion 123 of the ferrule 120 by the locking portions 112 is released. Therefore, by retreating the ferrule attaching/detaching tool 125, the operator can pull out the ferrule 120 from the housing 110 of the optical connector 105.
Then, in order to attach the ferrule 120 thus pulled out back to the housing 110 of the optical connector 105 again, the operator, while grasping the ferrule 120 between the elastic grasping pieces 126, rotates the ferrule attaching/detaching tool 125 by 90 degrees so that the elastic grasping pieces 126 are oriented for insertion between the locking pieces 111 of the optical connector 105 so as not to face the locking pieces 111. Then, the operator pushes the ferrule 120 into the housing 110 of the optical connector 105 so that the fitting-side portion 122 of the ferrule 120 is inserted between the locking pieces 111 and then the flange portion 123 of the ferrule 120 pushes open the locking portions 112 of the locking pieces 111. Then, when the flange portion 123 of the ferrule 120 rides over the locking portions 112 of the locking pieces 111, the operator retreats and pulls out the ferrule attaching/detaching tool 125. In this event, since the cutouts are provided on both sides of each elastic grasping piece 126 at its free end, the locking pieces 111 are maintained in the closed position. Therefore, since the flange portion 123 of the ferrule 120 is locked by the locking portions 112 of the locking pieces 111, the ferrule 120 is retained at an attaching position in the housing 110 and is never pulled out while being grasped between the elastic grasping pieces 126 of the ferrule attaching/detaching tool 125.
FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an optical connector and a disassembling jig according to Patent Document 2 and FIG. 2B is a diagram showing a state where a stopper 144 is pushed out of a shell member 142 by a reaction force (expansion force) of a coil spring.
As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, a disassembling jig 151 comprises a body 152 and releasing portions 154 fixed to the body 152 on both sides thereof by two screws 153 on each side. Each releasing portion 154 has a tapered portion 154a and a recessed portion (groove) 154b formed at its free end.
An optical connector 141 comprises a shell member (plug frame) 142, an internal member (not shown) disposed in the shell member 142, a stopper 144 attached to the shell member 142, and a coil spring interposed between the internal member and the stopper 144.
An optical fiber 150 is connected to the internal member and the coil spring constantly urges the internal member in a direction of fitting with a mating optical connector.
The shell member 142 is provided with slits (insertion portions) 142a at both side portions thereof on its one end side and is further provided with two windows (engaging portions) 142b in each of upper and lower surfaces thereof on the one end side. The shape of the stopper 144 is trapezoidal when seen from above and is rectangular when seen from the side. The stopper 144 is provided with projecting locking portions 144a, in correspondence with the engaging portions 142b, on upper and lower surfaces thereof near its one end. The shell member 142 is made of a synthetic resin and is elastically deformable and, therefore, the locking portions 144a are engageable and disengageable with respect to the corresponding engaging portions 142b. 
Next, a description will be given of operations of disassembling the optical connector 141 by the use of the disassembling jig 151 according to Patent Document 2.
At first, the tapered portions 154a of the disassembling jig 151 are inserted into the slits 142a of the shell member 142, respectively, then, the slits 142a are opened so that the stopper 144 is received in a receiving portion 151a of the disassembling jig 151.
Specifically, when the slits 142a are opened, the engaging portions 142b on the upper side of the shell member 142 move upward and the engaging portions 142b on the lower side thereof move downward, and therefore, the locking portions 144a of the stopper 144 are disengaged or released from the engaging portions 142b, respectively. Consequently, by a reaction force of the compressed coil spring, the stopper 144 is detached from the shell member 142 and moves deep into the receiving portion 151a of the disassembling jig 151.
Then, by pulling the optical fiber 150, the disassembling jig 151, and the stopper 144 with fingers of an operator, the internal member is pulled out of the shell member 142.